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Cyclone Fengal flooding main road
near Chennai Central Railway Station |
Day 17 Saturday Nov 30 2024 (Chennai, Tamil Nadu) - a wet wet day in Chennai due to the onslaught of cyclone Fengal so had to forgo our visit to some places of interest in & around Chennai; departed Chennai for an overnight train ride in late afternoon to Puri, hopefully a fine weather awaiting us !
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Chennai > Khurda Road Junction
(1250km) - Overnight train |
Dec 18 Sunday Dec 1 2024 (Puri, Odisha) - hotel check-in in the evening after our overnight train & another connecting train ride (19 hours) from Chennai > Puri, enjoying chicken biryani (parcel) in the comfort of our hotel room !
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| Khurda Road Junction > Puri (61km) |
1) Upon my return from southern India to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, I picked up these two local press reporting about a low level cyclone Fengal smashing the southern coastline of India (Tamil Nadu in particular) & Sri Lanka on Nov 30 & early Dec 2024 causing deaths to a number of people, landslides & property damage etc. While visiting the old Armenian Street in George Town (Old Chennai), we were advised by locals that all schools in Chennai were put on a red alert & will be closed on Friday & Saturday (Nov 29 & 30), certain roads & highways in Marine Bay of Chennai were blocked from vehicle passing hence we had to restrict our movements to certain places in & around Chennai as public transport ie local bus services were suspended ! Never mind we missed visiting some places of interests in Chennai but we were safe & departed Chennai on Saturday Nov 30 by sleeper train to our next destination, Puri (Dec 1 > 2 2024). Needless to say, both of us look forward to seeing a rainbow in Puri after a bitter cyclone Fengal saga in Chennai ! What a relief as we later read about the suspension of a number of train services in major coastal cities of Tamil Nadu during the cyclone period !
2) Cyclone Fengal bringing strong wind & heavy rainfall to the coastline & city of Chennai causing severe flooding during my 3 days stay in Chennai city (Nov 28 > 30 2024) ! A terrible experience for both of us after witnessing & experiencing a pre-cyclone incident / scenario in Puducherry ie rough waves in Bay of Bengal & raining cats & dogs non-stop from day to nightfall (prior to cyclone Fengal fierce push bringing 24 hour rainfall seen in 30 years after our departure !). We stayed in Puducherry for 3 nights from Nov 23 > 25, 2 nights in Mahabalipuram Nov 26 & 27, as for Chennai from Nov 28 > 30 & Puri (Dec 1 & 2) ! All these coastal cities, one way or another were affected by cyclone Fengal - no escape ! Raincoats & umbrellas were put to good use while undertaking our visits to major touristy places in these 3 cities (wearing shorts & slippers as both our shoes & jackets were wet to skins) !
3) Overnight train ride (Rs3715 = Rm194 First AC 1A, 1250km) from Chennai Railway station (departing 19.00) > Khurda Road Junction (arriving 14.20) & upon arrival, taking a connecting train > Puri Railway station.
Day 18 Sunday Dec 1 2024 (Khurda Road Junction & Puri) - on board an overnight train from Chennai > Khurda Road (arriving 15.20, a delay of 1 hour) & another connecting train from Khurda Road (departing 17.00) > Puri Railway Station (arriving 18.15). My first day in Puri.
1) Countryside scenery as viewed from a moving train's tinted glass windows
2) Arriving in Khurda Road Junction Railway Station
3) Train ride (Rs347 = Rm18 Chair Car) from Khurda Road Junction (departing 16.35) > Puri Railway station (arriving 18.15)
4) Hotel accommodation (Puri): my 2 night stay in Chanduka Palace Hotel + an extended room stay on the 3rd day, room tariff Rs1437 = Rm78 = US$17.60, twin sharing per night, common bathroom, check-out time 07.00.
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